Base prefilling machine



BASE PREFILLING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR J. M. CAM/"65a I 1 71 7Z WI BY 59 A'TT0RNEY Nov. 29, 1955 J. M. CAMPBELL BASE PREFILLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1952 INVENTOR United States Patent BASE PREFILLING BJACHINE John M. Campbell, Library, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Cnrpcration, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 19, 1952, Serial No. 327,019

6 Claims. (Cl. 1183) This invention relates to the application of cement to fluorescent lamp bases and, more particularly, to a base prefilling machine for applying the cement to the bases.

In the present base prefilling machines, the bases are fed by an automatic hopper into chutes andare moved by gravity into mechanical loaders which insert them in holders carried on an indexing sprocket chain conveyor. The indexing of the conveyor brings each holder and the base carried thereby into position beneath a prefilling plunger. There the base is engaged by a drive which rotates and elevates it to the prefilling plunger.

The open end of the rotating base pushes upwardly against the tapered bottom section of the outer sleeve of said plunger, thereby forcing the sleeve upwardly and uncovering a cement orifice located in the bottom side wall of the closed end of the hollow plunger filled with basing cement, and permits said cement to be distributed uniformly around the periphery of the base. At the end of the filling index time, the rotating drive withdraws the base from the plunger, allowing the outer sleeve to cover the orifice, and reinserts the base into the holder by spring pressure of the filling plunger sleeve. The base is then carried to an unloading position, loosened from its holder, lifted therefrom by a fork, and ejected to a gravity slide from whence it passes on to a belt conveyor which transports it for inspection and traying.

The rotating drive mechanism has consisted of a base holder having diametrically inserted locking pins for engaging the pins of the base. Use of the locking pins requires a synchronizing device on the rotating drive mechanism to prevent the bending of the base pins by the locking pins, broken bases, and weakened bases. Further, in the former drive mechanism, bases having single pins were not employable therein. Also, no cushioning effect was provided between the base and the drive. Being complicated in structure, a great deal of maintenance was required.

The base prefilling plunger for the six head base-filling machine has three major points of wear, namely where the cement passes through the plunger orifice to be received by a base, where the sliding sleeve and plunger body contact one another, and Where the rotating base wears against the outer sleeve. The wear in the plunger orifice alters the performance of the plunger and the amount of cement delivered to the rotating base. Wear in the sliding sleeve permits oil and dirt to accumulate therein, produces dirty bases, and prevents a clean cutoff of the cement supply through the plunger orifice. There is also undue wear on the spring-loaded inserts which grip a base in a holder.

The plunger orifice hole size should remain constant and circular, or any other shape found to perform well. The abrasive action of the marble flour in the basing cement distorts the shape and enlarges the size of the hole, thereby increasing the flow of cement to the rotating base. When the plunger hole becomes too large, the entire plunger body has to be replaced. Further, in addition to the wear between the plunger sleeve and the plunger body,

2,725,031 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 ice friction between the sliding surfaces causes the plunger to stick, thereby preventing the proper operation of the machine.

Hence it has been found advantageous, according to my invention, to provide a base-filling machine with a friction drive rotator having a cushioning rubber Washer for engagement with the bottom of a holder-supported base, and a base-filling plunger having a synthetic sapphire insert, or sapphire inserts between the plunger sleeve and the plunger, and a sapphire washer insert forming the cement orifice in the plunger, thereby reducing the friction and wear between the plunger sleeve and the plunger, between the rotating base and the plunger sleeve, and providing a wear-resistant orifice which can be maintained practically constant in size and shape for a long period of time. I also propose to substitute synthetic sapphire for steel, at least at the base engaging surfaces of the spring-loaded inserts of each base holder.

In its general aspect, the present invention has the object of overcoming the afore-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art base prefilling machines.

Specifically, an object of the present invention is a base prefilling machine having a friction drive base rotator and a low friction, long-wearing cement-filling plunger.

Another object of the invention is a friction drive base rotator for a base-filling machine which eliminates the synchronizing device on the drive and the use of locking pins for engaging the base pins.

An additional object is a friction drive base rotator for a base-filling machine which can be used uniformly with bases having either single or plural pins.

Another object is a friction drive base rotator for a base-filling machine of simplified structure, which provides a cushioning effect for the base and prevents bending of the base pins and cracked and weakened plastic base seals.

A further object is a cement filling plunger having a synthetic sapphire insert in the bottom inner portion of the plunger sleeve, to contact the plunger and the rotating base, and to reduce friction and wear between the plunger and its sleeve and the base-contacting surface of the plunger sleeve.

A still further object is a cement-filling plunger for a base-filling machine having a sapphire washer-like orifice in the lower portion of the plunger body which is resistant to wear by abrasive action of the marble flour of the basing cement passing therethrough.

Another object is a base holder having synthetic sapphire wearing surfaces at the points of engagement between the base-engageable inserts and a base gripped thereby.

Other objects and advantages Will appear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains as the description thereof proceeds, both by direct recitation and by implication from the context.

Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, with parts in elevation, of apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, correspending with the right hand portion of the base holde illustrated in Fig. 2.

, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View, corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing a subsequent position of the parts after a base has been raised into engagement with the cement dispenser.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view corresponding with a portion of Fig. 4 in the vicinity of the left hand portion of the base shown therein.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view, with a part broken away, of a base to which cement has been preapplied.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the indexing chain conveyor 11, of known construction except for the base holders 12, is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as carrying a plurality of said base holders, causing them to pass sequentially beneath base prefilling device 13, or a series (such as six) of such devices, 13, 13, etc., across the width of the conveyor. Each preiilling device comprises a 'hollow plunger 14 holding basing cement 15 under pressure. The pressure may be applied by compressed 'air in the hopper 16 holding the cement, or a feed screw (not shown), which forces the cement towards the lower end of each plunger.

Each plunger is hollow cylindrical in form and has a cement-dispensing orifice 17 near its lower end thereof in its cylindrical surface. In the present embodiment of my invention, each orifice 17 is defined by a synthetic sapphire washer on ring 18, set into the cylindrical portion of the plunger 14.

Each plunger orifice 17 is normally closed by a sleeve 19, which acts as a valve for opening or closing it. The sleeve is a'd'apted to reciprocate vertically on its plunger 14. Each sleeve 19 has a yoke 21 surrounding an upper reduced portion 22, said yoke carrying a pair of pins 23 slidable in a guide member 24 secured to the plunger 14. Each pin '23 is desirably threaded into an outer end portion of its yoke 21, as indicated at 25, and carries a collar 26 slidable thereon, and secured thereto in adjus'ted position, as by means of a set screw 27. Each collar 26 serves to adjust the normal amount of force applied to a coil compression spring 28 mounted on its pin 23. The upper end of each spring engages the lower surface of a guide member 24, secured to the plunger 14. Undesir'able withdrawal of the pins 23 from the guide member 24 is prevented by pin or cotter 29 passing through an aperture adjacent the upper end of each pin 23 and overlying said guide member.

In order to minimize wear and reduce friction between each collar '19 and the associated plunger 14, the lower frusto-conical surface 31 thereof is provided with an annular groove 32 and a synthetic sapphire member 33 of corresponding shape and size is secured therein. This insert 33 not only reduces wear and friction on the plunger 14 and its washer 18, but also on the upper edge of a base 34 when gripped in 'a holder '12 carried by the conveyor 11, because synthetic sapphire has "a smaller coefiicient of friction than even graphited steel and is three or more times harder than hardened steel or Stellite.

Each holder 12 is of novel formation, comprising "an annular body portion 35 carrying a chuck portion with a base-nesting member 36 and a plurality of springloaded inserts 37. The loading of the spring 38 of each insert rnay be adjusted by turning its closure cap 39. Each insert 38 has a tip 41 which directly grips an associated base 34 and is formed of synthetic sapphire to thereby minimize wear and friction with respect to such base.

Beneath each base holder 12 is a base lifting and turning device 4-2 comprising a generally cylindrical base lifter 43, formed with "an 'u'pward-ly opening portion 44 lined by a washer or bushing 45. The upper portion of each bushing 45 is desirably beveled to provide an outward flare and thicker than the lower portion, so as to form a shoulder 46 seating on the lifter 43 and defining between it and the upper rim portion 47 of said lifter, a groove in which is seated and cemented in place by a suitable adhesive, preferably a special rubber "cement, rubber washer 48. The inner diameter of each bushing 45 is large enough to receive and avoid interference 'with the depending pins 49 of a base '34. carried by the holder 12 thereabove. At the same time, each lifter 43 is small enough to be received in aperture 51 of base-nesting member 36.

Each lifter 43 reci'proc-ates vertically with respect to a sleeve 52, the upper portion of which is flanged as in dicated at 53 to overlie the lower lifter flange '54. The upper portion of each sleeve 52 carries a series of rollers 55 rotatable on screw members 56 passing through holes in the sleeve, and riding on the flange 54, whereby said lifter 43 is freely rotatable with respect to said sleeve. The lower portion of each lifter 43 is normally engaged by the upper portion of a raising head 57, urged to uppermost position by coil compression spring 58, engaging intermediate washer 59 and acting between it and supporting washer 61 seated on the carrying yoke 62. Motion to each raising head 57 is transmitted from an inner vertical shaft 63 by means of a horizontal pin 64 passing through said shaft and with its end slidably received in corresponding slots 65 in said raising head 57. This allows for relative movement between each lower toothed clutch member 66, carried on the shaft 63 by the pin 64 and the correspondingly toothed upper surface 67 of a lifter 43. When the shaft 63 rises while turning, the toothed surfaces engage and efiect a corresponding turning of the lifter 43.

Each shaft 63 is mounted on anti-friction means, such as ball bearings '68, in the yoke 62. Turn-ing thereof is effected by driven gear 69, secured to lower end of the end shaft shown, and meshing with an elongated driving gear '(not shown). Turning of adjacent members is etfected by means of spur gear 71, on the shaft 63 above the gear 69, meshing with idler gear 72, which in turn meshes with .a corresponding gear 71 on the shaft of an associated turning device 42', .not fully shown. Turning devices (not shown), beyond the device 42' may be driven by gear 71 in a similar way.

The yoke '62 is carried by a pair of lifting rods 73, that at one end only being shown, which rods are vertically slidable in bushings 74 mounted in brackets 75 carried by a vertical supporting column 76. The lower end of each lifting rod 73 carries a roller .(not shown) which is operably engaged by a lifting cam (not shown), in a known way. The column 76 also carries the track 77, adjust-ably mounted thereon at one side of the conveyor 11 by means of set screw '78, on which travels the chain of the conveyor .11. The other side of the conveyor 'is supported in a similar manner.

Operation The bases 34, after insertion in the "holders 12, are carried by the conveyor 11 to a position beneath the pre-filling 'plun'gers .14 and there indexed. While "in this position, the turning shaft 63, etc. being in operation, the yoke 62 -is .raised, as by a cam in a known way, carrying each rubber washer 48 into engagement with the lower surface of a base 34, carried in the respective holder 12. The engagement is resilient because the spring 58 is then compressed until the clutch member 66 engages the Flower clutch face 67, causing the turning devices '42, '42, etc. to rotate, frictionally turning the associated bases, while raising them out of their holders into engagement with synthetic sapphire inserts 33 of the sleeves 19, 19', etc. This raising action also ettects upward movement of said sleeves along the stationary plungers 13, .13, etc. against the action of their return springs 28, 28', etc., uncovering the corresponding cement-dispensing orifices, and efiecting prefilling of the bases 34 with rings 79 of cement 15, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

After this has taken place, the yoke 72 is again lowered, as by the action of previously-referred-to raising cam, withdrawing the lifters 43, 43', etc. from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The :re'silient return of sleeves "1 9, 1 9", etc. by operation of their springs effect a replacement of the bases 34 in their holders, to a position only slightly above that illustrated in Figs. 1., .2 and 3. After this has been accomplished, the conveyor is indexed to the next :sta-

tion, bringing a new set of bases under the pre-filling plungers, and moving the prefilled bases on to be eventually removed from the conveyor.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be understood that I have provided a base prefilling machine, improved as compared with previous machines by inclusion of a hollow synthetic sapphire insert (or inserts) lining the cement-feeding hole (or holes) in basing-cement plunger (or plungers), and a circular synthetic sapphire insert on the sliding sleeve of each plunger where contact occurs at the hollow insert lining the feeding hole, as well as the top edges of bases on pre-filling. I have also provided synthetic sapphire inserts, or synthetic sapphire tips on the inserts of each base holder, thereby reducing shrinkage, wear and friction. By means of the rubber turning Washers, I provide a drive that can run continuously, as there is no alignment necessary with respect to the base pins. The rubber washer of each drive, also acts as a shock cushion between the usually plastic base and drive mechanism, supplementing that of the clutch-release spring. My improved mechanism can thus handle single-pin bases, not handled by the old drive which depended on an interlock with respect to the base pins'.

Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine for applying cement to cup-shaped fluorescent lamp bases with contact means projecting from the exterior thereof, in combination, an indexing base conveyor comprising chain means carrying base holders, a cement dispenser mounted over said conveyor, said dispenser comprising a plunger for holding basing cement under pressure, said plunger being hollow, cylindrical, and having a radially-opening cement-dispensing orifice defined by a synthetic sapphire insert, a sleeve resiliently carried by said plunger for relative vertical reciprocation and normally covering said opening, said sleeve having a lower conical surface engageable with the top edge of a base to be prefilled with cement, the lower portion of said sleeve being provided with a synthetic sapphire insert to reduce wear and friction on said plunger, its insert, and such base, each base holder being provided with a plurality of spring-loaded synthetic sapphire inserts for resiliently holding a base, with only a small amount of wear and friction, and means for raising a base from each holder into engagement with said dispenser sleeve to push it over said plunger and uncover its cement-dispensing orifice, while turning said base to distribute cement around the inner surface of its side wall, said means having a resilient ring on its upper surface engageable with the lower surface of a base to frictionally turn the same.

2. In a machine for applying cement to cup-shaped fluorescent lamp bases with contact means projecting from the exterior thereof, in combination, a cement dispenser comprising a plunger for holding cement under pressure, said plunger being hollow cylindrical and having a radially-opening cement-dispersing orifice defined by a synthetic sapphire insert, means normally covering said orifice, and means for raising a base into engagement with said covering means and rotating said base to distribute cement on the inner surface of its upstanding wall.

3. In a machine for applying cement to cup-shaped fluorescent lamp bases, in combination, a cement dispenser comprising a plunger for holding cement under pressure, said plunger being hollow cylindrical and having a radially-opening cement-dispensing orifice, a sleeve resiliently carried by said plunger for relative vertical reciprocation and normally covering said orifice, and a synthetic sapphire insert in the lower portion of said sleeve defining a lower conical surface engageable with the top edge of a base, with an upstanding cylindrical wall of substantially larger inner diameter than the inner diameter of said sleeve, to be prefilled with cement to reduce wear and friction.

4. In a machine for applying cement to cup-shaped fluorescent lamp bases, in combination, a cement dispenser comprising a plunger for holding cement under pressure, said plunger being hollow cylindrical and having a radially-opening cement-dispensing orifice near its lower end, said orifice being defined by a synthetic sapphire insert, a sleeve resiliently carried by said plunger for relative vertical reciprocation and normally covering said orifice, said sleeve having a lower conical surface engageable with the top edge of a base to be prefilled with cement, the lower portion of said sleeve, which wears on said plunger and its insert and engages such base, being provided with a synthetic sapphire wear and friction-reducing insert.

5. In a machine for applying cement to cup-shaped fluorescent lamp bases with contact means projecting from the exterior thereof, in combination, a cement dispenser comprising a plunger for holding cement under pressure,

a sleeve resiliently carried by said plunger, normally closing said plunger, and having a lower conical surface engageable with the top edge of a base to be prefilled, a base holder disposed beneath said dispenser, and means for raising a base from said holder into engagement with said dispenser sleeve to open said plunger, while turning said base to distribute cement around the inner surface of its side wall.

6. In a machine for applying cement to fluorescent lamp bases with upstanding side walls and contact means projecting from the exterior thereof, in combination, a cement dispenser comprising a plunger for holding basing cement under pressure, said plunger being hollow cylindrical and having a radially-opening cement-dispensing orifice, a sleeve resiliently slidable on said plunger and having a lower conical surface engageable with the top edge of a base to be prefilled with cement, a base holder beneath said dispenser, means for raising a base from said holder into engagement with said dispenser sleeve to push the latter over said plunger and uncover the cementdispensing orifice, and means for turning said raising means, said raising means comprising a resilient ring, on its upper end engageable with the lower surface of a supported base to frictionally grip said base for turning the same to distribute cement around the inner surface of its side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,384,048 Coates July 12, 1921 2,164,244 Jung June 27, 1939 2,166,945 Eberhart July 25, 1939 2,322,211 Albright June 22, 1943 2,333,557 Fischer Nov. 2, 1943 2,336,946 Marden et a1. Dec. 14, 1943 2,412,954 Zdarcewicz Dec. 24, 1946 2,426,969 Hallowell Sept. 2, 1947 2,442,179 Shanklin et al May 25, 1948 2,480,663 McNab Aug. 30, 1949 2,608,177 Powers Aug. 26, 1952 

